Three months ago, the board of directors for the Crave AZ Culinary Festival announced that they were postponing the Scottsdale event lineup from late October to late January 2011.
At that time, the date change was attributed to some "new, large sponsors" who were about to get involved, as well as the desirability of holding the high-profile festival in the peak of tourist season. The event first debuted at SouthBridge in fall 2008 under the moniker Eats3, and then was renamed for 2009.
Now, there's a new announcement that the 2011 event is cancelled altogether, "due to current economic conditions."
They're working on getting "significant long-term sponsorships" and planning the January 2012 festival, says the announcement.
Fifty top Arizona chefs and a handful of national food celebs participated in last year's three-day Crave AZ festivities, which included an artwalk, wine tastings, special chef-hosted dinners, a National Top Bar Chef competition, and a Sunday afternoon Grand Tasting event that sprawled across the bridge between SouthBridge and the Scottsdale Waterfront.
Anyone who's already purchased tickets can roll over the credit to 2012, or call 480-326-6647 for a refund.
